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Old 16-06-2022, 21:55   #1
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Sailboat w/Small Outboard Sitting for 4 months in FL ... Gas Not Treated

Small 20' sailboat with outboard sitting for the past 3-4 months in Florida and the fuel was not treated. It is non-ethanol fuel. Any special steps before starting the engine? Should I worry about water in the tank or residual fuel in the lines fouling the carb? What should I do?

FYI ... fuel tank was sealed and expanded like a watermelon. Pressure was released today. Not sure if sealed tank matters as there was some air in the tank. New Tohatsu engine and don't want to screw it up. Any help appreciated.
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Old 17-06-2022, 06:48   #2
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Re: Sailboat w/Small Outboard Sitting for 4 months in FL ... Gas Not Treated

Should be fine
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Old 17-06-2022, 07:06   #3
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Re: Sailboat w/Small Outboard Sitting for 4 months in FL ... Gas Not Treated

Is the Tohatsu a 2 or 4 stroke motor?

In general, would try to start the motor as is and most likely is fine.

Worst case scenario, you may have to pull the carb off the OB and clean the jets etc. If you don't know how to do this yet, it is a good skill to know how to do it.

Also start the motor (so the lower end is in the water) to make certain the water pump impeller is good. You should see a steady stream of water coming out of a small tube under the back of the motor cowling.
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Old 17-06-2022, 07:08   #4
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Re: Sailboat w/Small Outboard Sitting for 4 months in FL ... Gas Not Treated

In my experience, it is not usually fuel in the tank that causes trouble, it is fuel left in the carb. It evaporates and leaves residue behind, if this happens repeatedly, the residue builds up and clogs the low speed jet.

I know that theoretically old gas in the tank is an issue, but if you have a filter in line, and keep water out, it's not often the source of problems.
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Old 17-06-2022, 07:39   #5
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Re: Sailboat w/Small Outboard Sitting for 4 months in FL ... Gas Not Treated

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Originally Posted by Bayesnet View Post
Small 20' sailboat with outboard sitting for the past 3-4 months in Florida and the fuel was not treated. It is non-ethanol fuel. Any special steps before starting the engine? Should I worry about water in the tank or residual fuel in the lines fouling the carb? What should I do?

FYI ... fuel tank was sealed and expanded like a watermelon. Pressure was released today. Not sure if sealed tank matters as there was some air in the tank. New Tohatsu engine and don't want to screw it up. Any help appreciated.
Do confirm that the tank is ok, no leaks etc,

The fuel is likely OK... but if you have any lingering doubts, dump that fuel into your vehicle, and get a fresh tankful of no-ethanol gas for the boat. I like adding stabilizer and/or a shot of SeaFoam to the tank.

As already mentioned, the biggest worry is whether the carb has gummed up, and that's not very likely if you've only used good no-ethanol gas. All you can do is try; you won't hurt the engine. If the engine runs well, all good. If the engine won't start or runs poorly, then look for the problem.
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Old 17-06-2022, 08:54   #6
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Re: Sailboat w/Small Outboard Sitting for 4 months in FL ... Gas Not Treated

should be okay if only 3-4 months. i would get rid of the gas in the tank and line and put in fresh gas. don't forget the stabilizer. i always run my outboard dry at the end of use.
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Old 17-06-2022, 09:32   #7
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Re: Sailboat w/Small Outboard Sitting for 4 months in FL ... Gas Not Treated

Use Phab trust second place is not 50% as good
Everyday in hot sun gasoline vents octane so the gas has dropped in power and absorbed some water.
Resins and crystals can form quickly damage idle passage float metering and fuel pump membrane.
Phab direct into each carb. Good as new.
The engine will stagger even stall no worries. I’ve use Phab on a solid generator. You could see the resin in the carb. Soaked in Phab an hour later started ran like crap and cleared up.
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Old 17-06-2022, 09:48   #8
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Re: Sailboat w/Small Outboard Sitting for 4 months in FL ... Gas Not Treated

[QUOTE=Rumrace;3640374Phab direct into each carb. Good as new.
The engine will stagger even stall no worries. I’ve use Phab on a solid generator. You could see the resin in the carb. Soaked in Phab an hour later started ran like crap and cleared up.[/QUOTE]
Yes. At the start of every season, I carefully squirt carb cleaner into the air intake of the running outboard. Seems to help.
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Old 17-06-2022, 09:54   #9
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Re: Sailboat w/Small Outboard Sitting for 4 months in FL ... Gas Not Treated

Non ethanol should be ok at 3-4 months. But frankly, I would remove the carb bowl if it has one and clean it. Or sometimes I just drain it with the drain plug on the bowl. Starts right up if I do that. Surprising how they tend to corrode or etc with the new materials they use now days.
My lawn mowers will start in spring after sitting 4-5 months with non ethanol, but usually run rough for a few hours unless I add fresh fuel.
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Old 18-06-2022, 13:33   #10
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Re: Sailboat w/Small Outboard Sitting for 4 months in FL ... Gas Not Treated

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Non ethanol should be ok at 3-4 months. But frankly, I would remove the carb bowl if it has one and clean it. Or sometimes I just drain it with the drain plug on the bowl. Starts right up if I do that. Surprising how they tend to corrode or etc with the new materials they use now days.
My lawn mowers will start in spring after sitting 4-5 months with non ethanol, but usually run rough for a few hours unless I add fresh fuel.
I have a Tohatsu 9.8 and I would agree with this. If there was condensation in the bowl it could have caused some corrosion in there and that can/will affect how it runs. Mine was that way. I'd also consider adding a product called "Sta-Bil" to the gas. I leave my gas sitting for months sometimes and I have had no trouble with it.
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